Monday, November 26, 2012

This tutorial is brought to you by Sara at SewSweetness so once you are done checking out the tutorial, head over to her blog for a giveaway!This casserole carrier is the perfect companion to your holiday meal. It conveniently holds a 13” x 9” baking dish. Sturdy straps and an insulated lining make this bag the perfect treat for yourself, or awe-inspiring as a hostess gift. Perhaps this year, your handmade casserole carrier will outshine the turkey.

1. Take the Exterior Side Panel and the corresponding piece of Thermolam. Fuse the Thermolam to the wrong side of the Exterior Side Panel using manufacturer instructions. Repeat for the Exterior Main Panels and Exterior Zipper Panel.

2. Take 1 of the fused Exterior Main Panels and the corresponding piece of Deco-Fuse. Fuse the Deco-Fuse, centered, to the interfaced side of the Exterior Main Panel using manufacturer instructions. Repeat for the remaining Exterior Main Panel.

3. Take 1 of the Handle pieces and the corresponding piece of Shape Flex. Fuse the Shape Flex to the wrong side of the Handle using manufacturer instructions. Repeat for the remaining Handle, Lining Side Panel, Lining Main Panels, and Lining Zipper Panel.

4. Using a kitchen glass, round out the corners of the fused Exterior Main Panels and the Lining Main Panels. Trim.

5. Baste the Insul-Fleece to the wrong side of the Lining Main Panels using a 1/4” seam allowance. The “shiny” side of the Insul-Fleece should be facing the wrong side of the fabric. After basting in place, quilt the fabric if you so desire.

Attach the Zipper

1. If needed, trim your zipper so that it is exactly 36” long.

2. Take your Exterior Zipper Panel and draw a horizontal line that is down 1” from one long edge. Cut along this line. Repeat for the Lining Zipper Panel.

3.Put the zipper foot on your sewing machine. Place the larger piece of the Exterior Zipper Panel right side up, with the long edge horizontally. Place the zipper on top along the top edge, right side down. Pin in place. With your zipper foot on and using a 1/4” seam allowance from the top raw edge, stitch the zipper in place, from one end to the other.

4. Place the larger piece of the Lining Zipper Panel right side up with the long edge at the top. Place your exterior piece right side down onto the lining fabric piece, with the zipper at the top. Pin in place. Sew directly on top of the stitching from the previous step, except stop and start 1/2” from each end.

5. Turn the fabrics from the previous step so that they are wrong sides together. Press. Topstitch along the edge of the main fabric pieces from one end of the zipper to the other, 1/8" away from the zipper tape. Stop and start 1/2” from each end.

6. Repeat Steps 3-5 for the other side of the zipper and the small pieces of the Exterior Zipper Panel and Lining Zipper Panel. Remove the zipper foot from your machine.

7. Take the completed Zipper Panel and the Exterior Side Panel and sew, right sides together, along one short edge. Repeat with the remaining short edge of the Exterior Top Panel. You will only be sewing the exterior fabrics.

8. Repeat the previous step to sew the Lining Zipper Panel to the Lining Side Panel. You will only be sewing the lining fabrics.

Make and Attach the Handles

1.Press one Handle in half lengthwise, with wrong sides together. Measure and make a mark that is down 1/2” from the top long edge, and up 1/2” from the bottom long edge. Press along these marks toward the wrong side of the fabric.

2. Press the Handle in half again, enclosing the long raw edges. Topstitch the long edges of the Strap using a 1/8” seam allowance.

3. Make a mark that is in 10 1/2” from each short end of the Handle.

4. Fold the Handle in half between those marks. Pin in place.

5. Sew on top of the folded area on both edges using a 1/8” seam allowance.

6. Make two marks on the Exterior Zipper Panel that are in 14 ½” from each short edge. Take the completed Handle and place to the inside of the marks on the Exterior Zipper Panel piece. The raw edges of the Handle should be even with the raw edges of the Exterior Zipper Panel. Pin in place.

7. Draw a horizontal line on top of each Handle that is up 4” from the bottom of the Exterior Zipper Panel.

8. On top of the previous line of stitching, sew on top of the Handle using a 1/8” seam allowance. You will be sewing up the left-hand edge (stopping at the line that you drew), pivot, sew directly on top of the line, pivot, then sew down the right-hand edge.

9. Place the Exterior Side Panel and the Lining Side Panel wrong sides together. Make marks that are in 2” from each short edge.

10. Repeat Steps 1-8 for the remaining Handle and the marks on the Exterior Side Panel.

Assemble the Bag

1.Take 1 of the Exterior Main Panels and 1 of the Lining Main Panels. Place them, wrong sides together, and baste in place using a 1/8” seam allowance. Repeat for the remaining Exterior Main Panel and Lining Panel. Also repeat this step to baste together the Exterior Zipper Panel and Lining Zipper Panel. Also, draw a line on all 4 corners of both Main Panels, in the same places. This will help you line up your panels when you sew the 2nd one to the Zipper Panel (so that your bag will not turn out wonky).

2.Take the assembled Side Panel and 1 of the assembled Main Panels. Place the long edge of the Exterior Side Panel against the raw edge of the Exterior Main Panel and pin in place. All Handles should be in 3 1/2” from each respective corner. When you get to the corners, gently ease through the curve. Continue easing and pinning the Side Panel along the raw edge of the Exterior Main Panel until you have worked your way all around. Push the Handles to the inside so you do not sew over them. Sew along the pinned edge. Press the seam toward the Side Panel.

3. Unzip the zipper at least halfway. Repeat the previous step to attach the remaining Main Panel to the Side.

4.Turn your bag so that the lining side is facing you, and gently push the corners out so that the raw edges are exposed. Open up the bias tape. Press in one short edge by ½”. Beginning with 1 Side Panel and the pressed edge of the tape, ease the tape all along the entire raw edge of the Side Panel. The long edge of the tape should be aligned with the raw edge of the Side Panel. Pin in place. When you get all the way around and return to the pressed edge of the bias, trim the tape 1/2” past where the 2 edges of the tape meet. This will enclose the raw edge of the tape.

5. Sew on top of the bias tape, along the first pressed edge, to secure it in place.

6. Fold the bias tape over to the other end of the seam. Fold the pressed edge of the tape inside itself. Pin in place. Stitch on top of the bias tape using a 1/4” seam allowance.

7. Repeat steps 4-7 to apply the bias tape to the remaining raw edges of the bag.

I used this concept to make packing cubes. I omitted the handles and insulation and added a mesh panel in the top. This is the only online tutorial I found that is even close to what I was looking for. As popular as packing cubes are, I'm surprised there aren't any tutorials for them. They take almost no fabric and you can make them for a fraction of what you would pay to buy them already made.